Laos recorded USD 8.370 billion in total exports in 2023, according to the Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 figures. Electricity was the largest export at USD 2.382 billion, while Thailand was the biggest destination at USD 2.884 billion. The figures below keep each measurement period and source distinct, because trade totals differ across statistical systems and years.
Contents
- Laos exports at a glance
- Leading export products in 2023
- Where Laos exports go
- Exports and imports in 2023
- 2022 export structure
- Product and market breadth
- Trade context and earlier product rankings
Laos exports at a glance
The Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 data puts Laos’ total exports at USD 8.370 billion. Total imports were USD 7.189 billion, producing total trade of USD 15.558 billion. The same source reports that export value increased 3.5% in 2023 compared with 2022, while import value increased 5.0%.
These figures describe annual trade value in U.S. dollars. They should not be mixed with the separate 2022 estimates and classifications published by the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) or with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Profile 2023 indicators, which use different reporting periods and statistical definitions.
The 2023 totals show an export-led trade balance in the Lao Trade Portal series: exports were higher than imports by USD 1.181 billion. That difference is a direct subtraction of the two reported annual values and is included only to make the relationship between the published totals easier to read.
| Indicator | Period | Reported value | Source label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total exports | 2023 | USD 8.370 billion | Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 |
| Total imports | 2023 | USD 7.189 billion | Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 |
| Total trade | 2023 | USD 15.558 billion | Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 |
| Export-value change | 2023 vs. 2022 | 3.5% increase | Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 |
| Import-value change | 2023 vs. 2022 | 5.0% increase | Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 |
Leading export products in 2023
Electricity was Laos’ largest reported export in 2023, with a value of USD 2.382 billion. This was followed by gold bullion at USD 703 million. Paper and paper products reached USD 467 million, while gold ore accounted for USD 425 million.
The next group consisted of iron ore at USD 411 million and potassium salt at USD 401 million. These six categories alone show the mix of energy, precious metals, industrial minerals, and manufactured or processed paper products in the 2023 export list.
Agricultural and resource-linked products also contributed substantial values. Cassava exports were USD 333 million, rubber exports were USD 310 million, pulp and paper waste exports were USD 284 million, and sugar exports were USD 265 million.
The Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 figures therefore identify ten sizeable product categories:
- Electricity: USD 2.382 billion.
- Gold bullion: USD 703 million.
- Paper and paper products: USD 467 million.
- Gold ore: USD 425 million.
- Iron ore: USD 411 million.
- Potassium salt: USD 401 million.
- Cassava: USD 333 million.
- Rubber: USD 310 million.
- Pulp and paper waste: USD 284 million.
- Sugar: USD 265 million.
Electricity exceeded gold bullion by USD 1.679 billion in the same annual series. Among the other reported categories, paper and paper products were USD 42 million higher than gold ore, while gold ore was USD 14 million higher than iron ore. Potassium salt was USD 68 million higher than cassava. These comparisons use only the values reported for 2023 by the Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 source.
Where Laos exports go
Thailand was the largest buyer of Laos’ exports in 2023, purchasing USD 2.884 billion. China was second at USD 2.504 billion, and Vietnam was third at USD 1.391 billion. The next listed destinations were Australia, with USD 385 million, and Cambodia, with USD 200 million.
The three largest destinations together represented USD 6.779 billion in reported purchases. Thailand’s reported value was USD 380 million higher than China’s, and China’s was USD 1.113 billion higher than Vietnam’s. Australia followed Vietnam by USD 1.006 billion, while Cambodia’s reported purchases were USD 185 million below Australia’s.
| Destination | Laos exports purchased in 2023 |
|---|---|
| Thailand | USD 2.884 billion |
| China | USD 2.504 billion |
| Vietnam | USD 1.391 billion |
| Australia | USD 385 million |
| Cambodia | USD 200 million |
The Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 figures show the importance of nearby Asian markets in the listed destination results. Thailand, China, and Vietnam were the three leading buyers in that source’s annual data. Australia and Cambodia were also included among the leading destinations, but at materially lower reported values than the top three.
Exports and imports in 2023
The annual 2023 totals provide a broad view of Laos’ cross-border goods trade. Exports were USD 8.370 billion, imports were USD 7.189 billion, and total trade was USD 15.558 billion. Exports were therefore the larger of the two flows in the reported year.
The reported growth rates add another dimension. Export value increased 3.5% from 2022 to 2023, while import value increased 5.0%. These are year-over-year changes stated by the Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 source; they are not forecasts and do not establish why either value changed.
The 2023 product list also shows that export activity was not limited to one type of good. Electricity led the list, followed by gold bullion, paper products, ores, potassium salt, cassava, rubber, pulp and paper waste, and sugar. Because the supplied 2023 figures do not give a full product classification or quantity series, they should be read as value statistics rather than as measures of physical output.
2022 export structure
WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 reports total exports of USD 9.564 billion and total imports of USD 7.616 billion for 2022. WITS also reports that Laos exported 1,023 HS6 products to 83 countries in that year. HS6 refers to the six-digit level of the Harmonized System product classification.
WITS groups 2022 exports by broad economic category. Intermediate goods were the largest group at USD 4.926 billion, with a reported share of 51.51%. Raw materials were worth USD 3.145 billion and accounted for 32.88%. Consumer goods reached USD 1.340 billion, or 14.01%, while capital goods were USD 152 million, or 1.59%.
| 2022 export category | Value | Share of exports | Source label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intermediate goods | USD 4.926 billion | 51.51% | WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 |
| Raw materials | USD 3.145 billion | 32.88% | WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 |
| Consumer goods | USD 1.340 billion | 14.01% | WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 |
| Capital goods | USD 152 million | 1.59% | WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 |
Intermediate goods were the largest reported 2022 category by value and exceeded raw materials by USD 1.781 billion. Raw materials exceeded consumer goods by USD 1.805 billion. Consumer goods were USD 1.188 billion higher than capital goods. These are comparisons among WITS’ 2022 category values and do not convert the categories into individual products.
WITS also reports an export market penetration index of 2.61 in 2022. Its world export growth benchmark was 5.84%, while country export growth was 9.11%. These indicators belong to the WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 framework and should not be treated as the same measure as the Lao Trade Portal’s 3.5% annual change for 2023.
Product and market breadth
The WITS Laos Trade Summary 2022 count of 1,023 exported HS6 products indicates breadth at a detailed customs-classification level. The same source’s count of 83 destination countries describes the reach of Laos’ exports in 2022. Neither figure identifies the value of every product or the volume shipped to every country.
The WITS category values provide a second way to view that breadth. Intermediate goods and raw materials together were reported at USD 8.071 billion in 2022. Consumer goods and capital goods together were reported at USD 1.492 billion. These groupings are arithmetic combinations of the published category values, not additional source estimates.
The category shares also show that the four reported percentages do not equal a full 100% when added as displayed. Their sum is 100.07%, reflecting rounding in the source’s percentages. The values and shares should consequently be retained at their published precision rather than treated as an exact unrounded allocation.
Trade context and earlier product rankings
The WTO Trade Profile 2023 reports Lao PDR GDP of USD 15.304 billion in 2022. It reports GDP per capita of USD 2,356 for 2020–2022 and trade per capita of USD 967 for 2020–2022. The WTO also reports trade at 41.1% of GDP in the 2020–2022 period and a current-account balance of -6.0% of GDP in 2022.
For 2022, the WTO Trade Profile 2023 reports merchandise exports of USD 8.198 billion and merchandise imports of USD 7.244 billion. These values are distinct from the WITS 2022 totals and from the Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 totals, so the source label and period matter when comparing them.
The WTO profile’s product ranking for 2021 places electrical energy first at USD 1.633 billion. Gold was second at USD 962 million, followed by other uncoated paper and paperboard at USD 525 million, copper ores and concentrates at USD 331 million, and natural rubber at USD 280 million.
The same WTO profile reports that Thailand accounted for 32.2% of Lao PDR’s exports in 2021, China accounted for 31.4%, and Vietnam accounted for 17.5%. Those are 2021 destination shares, not 2023 destination values. They provide historical context for the three leading markets also listed in the Lao Trade Portal annual 2023 data, but they should not be presented as interchangeable measurements.
The historical product figures likewise need their dates preserved. Electrical energy, gold, paper and paperboard, copper ores and concentrates, and natural rubber were ranked using the WTO profile’s 2021 data. The 2023 Lao Trade Portal list uses different product labels and a different annual period. Reading the series with those dates and source names attached gives a clearer picture of Laos’ export profile without treating separate statistical releases as one continuous table.